Copyrighting legally ‘protects’ people who express ideas and information in creative forms like:
- Text
- Artistic works
- Music
- Computer programs
- Sounds recordings, and
- Films (for example).
It does so, by preventing others from unauthorised copying, or communicating their material.
Because no one would take the initiative to ‘create’, if their work, can easily be copied!
And the Copyright Act 1968 makes copywriting protection ‘automatic’ in Australia.
This ‘automatic’ protection applies as soon as the idea or information is put in material form.
Note: For more on copyright basics in Australia, check out this useful resource by Smart Copying, which includes:
- Definitions
- Explanations
- Common misconceptions.